Medley Training

John Conner, of the Dino Gym, performing a Medley which consisted of a sled drag using live weight!

I REALLY like the big training days at the Dino Gym! The enthusiasm is high, motivation is at its peak, and the gym is filled with energy! You HAVE TO have a good workout on these days or you feel like you let down your training partners. Everyone at the Dino Gym is training partners – we all train with and help each other out at different times. Sure, some of us have different training objectives and might be on different training programs, but when it comes time for a lifter to put out a max effort in attempting a big lift or a personal record, we all come together to support each other. This is what I like the most about our gym – we are a family. Everyone supports the other in helping achieve progress or a just a good workout.

The big problem for me is trying to be part of all the action, and at the same time still get a good workout in for myself. The older I get the more satisfaction I get from seeing other gym members improve. This brings me to the story of the day. Medley training has always been a big part of our strongman training. It is a perfect way to end a workout because medleys will take you to the limit of exhaustion. For those of you not familiar with Medley Training – let me explain. It is called a medley because multiple events are done in sequence, one immediately following the other. It may just be a couple of events, or as many as you want! Any combination may be used, with different weights or different implements. Examples of events are drags, carries, or walks. The combination of events is endless, and a different “challenge” may be brought to the training table every training session. Medleys are a great way to get in a little extra cardio training at the same time as building functional strength. We try to set up our medleys to last between 30 seconds and a couple of minutes. It is a guarantee that you will be in a “pile” after finishing a difficult medley, and if you aren’t you didn’t put out enough effort and the boys will make you do it again. That’s just how it is at the Dino Gym! Peer pressure CAN be a good thing!

Last Saturday I witnessed Big John Conner perform one of the most entertaining medleys that I have seen yet. It was a carry-drag medley, with Big John first carrying a 300 pound keg 75 feet, followed by a sled drag of 75 feet with Colby being the added weight. Colby tops the scale at 325 pounds, so John didn’t pick a “light weight” for his drag. The sled weighs 135 pounds, so it was a total weight of 460 pounds. On top of this, he used my tire sled that is by far the most difficult sled around. It consists of a metal sled with a car tire bolted on the bottom of it. Talk about friction on concrete!!!! I swear I could smell burning rubber as John dragged Colby across the finish line! There was a point when I thought John wasn’t going to make the entire drag, but he gutted it out and finally got across the line. On top of John performing one of the most intense workouts I had seen in a while, Colby seemed to enjoy himself with the free ride. Since this seems hard to believe, I have included a YouTube Video of it just for your entertainment!